Trussed ladder.



Patented May I4, 190|.

L G D E L T T u Qn lm W gli TRUSSED LADDER.

(Application led Max. 7, 1901.)

(No Model.)

WITNLSSLSZ mz Nonms paens co,. Puoaumo.. wAsHmsToN, l:` c,

UNTTnn STATES PnTnNT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. RUTTLEDGE, OF OTISVILIJE, MICHIGAN.

TRUSSED LADDER.

i SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,969, dated May14, 1901.

Application llecl March 7,1901. Serial No. 50,178. (No model.)

to make a ladder of great strength without materially increasing theweight of the same, a further object being to construct a ladder which,although comparatively light, shall be so effectually stayed as to beespecially serviceable for the use of firemen and whereby the stays andmetallic parts shall be so insulated as to avoid all danger of shocks byelectricity should the ladder come in contact with a live wire.

To this end the invention consists in the use of truss-rods laid in theWooden truss members and adapted to be placed under tension; and itconsists in providing a suitable insulating-covering for the same and inthe employment of means for tensioning said rods, and the inventionconsists, further, in the construction, arrangement, and .combination ofparts, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved ladder.` Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection through the opposite ends of one ot' the side members. Fig. -tis a sectional elevation thereof with the insulating-cap removed. Fig. 5is a section on line Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on line y fy, Fig. 3.Fig. 7 is a section on line z' z, Fig. l. Fig. 8 is a similar section,showing my construction of ladder without the insulatingcap.

As shown in the drawings, A A represent the parallel legs of a ladder,which are connected in the usual manner by transverse rounds A.

B B represent the trussed bars or trussframe pieces, which are boweddownwardly from and have their ends rigidly connected with the endportions of the legs A A in a mannerhereinaiterdescribed.Asindicatedinthe drawings, the legs and trusses are connected in theusual manner and at desirable intervals by struts or blocks a.

In joining the end portions of the trusses and legs I employ metallicclamping-yokes C D, which are of substantially stirrup or U form, asindicated in the drawings.

b represents parallel grooves formed in the outer face of the woodentruss members, and c represents truss-rods laid in saidgrooves,adjustably secured at their lower endsby means of the nipples din the bottom of the yoke C, while their upper ends are brazed orotherwise secured to a grooved plate e, with its upper end in proximityto a shoulderf, formed on the clam ping-yoke D, and gis a bolt having ascrew-thread engagement with said plate, whereby both of said truss-rodsmay be adjusted at one and the same time, while if it is desired toadjust but one of said rods it is done by means of the nipples d at theopposite end.

E is an insulating cap or strip having the parallel grooves h formedtherein, adapted to lit over the truss-rods and cover the same, so thatthere is no chance for an electric wire coming in contact therewith.This cap is held in place at intervals intermediate its length by meansof the plates t' and the bolts j, passing through said plate,cap, truss,strut, and member A of the ladder, as shown in Fig. 7. I may,howeveigwhere it is not desired, dispense with the use of theinsulating-molding, in which event I employ plates 70, likewise securedin position atintervals apart,as shown in Fig. 8.

The clamping-yokes C D are adapted to ft over the lower and upper endsof the legs, truss, and cap of the ladder, respectively, to form a solidstructure, being held in place by bolts Z, and l' represents aperturedears formed on opposite sides of said yokes, in which the tapering pinsm are adapted to be inserted, a suitable hole having first been boredthrough the meeting faces of the legs and truss at that joint. Thesepins are provided with a squared head at one end and a screw-thread atthe other end, adapted to have a screw-thread engagement with one ofsaid ears, so that as the parts become dried out or loose by simplysetting up on these pins all slack is taken up. n n' are points formedon the lower end of IOO the yoke C, the point ot being detachabletherefrom andis formed With a lug n2,adapted to t in an aperture formedin said yoke, being held in place by means of one of the bolts Z. Theyoke D is also provided with a plate 0, adapted to cover the head of theadjustingscrew g, and is held in place by means of the lug fitting in anaperture in said yoke and one of the bolts Z.

P is a strip of rubber or other insulating material interposed betweenthe inner face of the clamping-yoke G D and the contacting parts of theladder, so that all danger of completing an electric circuit between thecomponent parts and the ladder is avoided, which is such a great sourceof danger in all ladders Where metallic trussing is resorted to, afurther advantage being that by reason of my truss rods or wires beingcovered they are not so readily affected by a change in temperature aswhen exposed, let alone, as before stated, the advantage of avoiding alldanger of shocks to the men by electricity, and Ihave found that byactual experiment I can support three times the weight on my ladder withthe use of my construction of truss-rods than without them Withoutmaterially increasing the weight of the ladder, and by means of theindividual adjustment I am enabled to tension these rods exactly rightat all times.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. In atrussed ladder,the combinationwith the legs, rounds and trusses, said legs and trusses having themeeting faces of their adjoining end portions provided with recessesforming the complementary halves of a transverse aperture, of metallicclamping-yokes adapted to embrace the united end portions of saidtrusses and legs, one arrn of said yoke being provided with earsprojecting on opposite sides and registering with said transverseaperture, a taper pin passing through said ears and aperture, andhavinga screw-thread engagement with one of said ears and boltsconnecting the arms of said yokes and passing through said trusses andlegs, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In atrussed ladder, the combination with the legs,rounds and trusses,of metallic clamping-yokes adapted to embrace the united end portions ofsaid trusses and legs, grooves formed in said trusses, truss-rods laidin said grooves and means for putting said trussrods under tension.

3. In a 'trussed ladder, the combination with the legs,rou nds andtrusses, of metallic clamping-yokes adapted to embrace the united endportions of said trusses and legs, grooves formed in said trusses,truss-rods laid in said grooves and means for adjusting said trussrodsindividually at one end and jointly at the other end.

4. In a trussed ladder, the combination of the legs, rounds and trusses,grooves formed in said trusses, truss-rods laidin said grooves, a capfitting over said truss and having similar grooves adapted to cover saidrods and metallictclamping-yokes adapted to embrace the united endportions of said trusses, caps and legs, and means vcarried by saidyokes for tensioning said rods.

5. In a trussed ladder, the combination with the legs, rounds andtrusses of grooves formed in said trusses, truss-rods laid in saidgrooves, and means for tensioning the same, insulating-strips laid oversaid trusses and adapted to cover the saine, clamping-yokes adapted toembrace the united end portions of said trusses and legs, and insulatingmaterial interposed between said united end portions and saidclamping-yokes.

6. In a trussed ladder, the combination with the legs, rounds andtrusses, transverse apertures formed at the meeting faces of theiradjoining end portions, clamping-yokes adapted to embrace the united endportions of said trusses and legs, apertured ears formed on saidclamping-yoke projecting on opposite sides of said end portions,registering with said transverse apertures, and pins fitting in saidapertures having a screw-thread engagement with one of said ears adaptedto take up the slack between said leg and truss members.

7. In a trussed ladder, the combination with the legs, rounds andtrusses of grooves formed in said trusses, tru ss-rods laid in saidgrooves, insulating-strips laid over said grooves,clamp ing-yokesadapted to embrace the united end portions of said trusses and legs, andseparate means for adjusting said truss-rods at the opposite endsthereof carried by the clamping-yokes.

8. In atrussed ladder, the combination with the legs, rounds and trussesof metallic clamping-yokes, adapted to embrace the united end portionsof said trusses and legs, grooves formed in said trusses, truss-rodslaid in said grooves, a plate to which said truss-rods are secured, atone end, a screw-bolt swiveledin one of said clampingyokes and having ascrew-th read engagement with said plate and nipples swiveled in theopposite clampingyoke and having a screw-thread engagement with theopposite ends of said truss-rods.

9. In a trussed ladder, the combination with the legs, rounds andtrusses, of metallic clamping-yokes adapted to embrace the united endportions of said trusses and legs, apertured ears formed on said yokes,transverse apertures formed in the meeting faces of said trusses andlegs, taper pins fitting in said apertures and having a screw-threadengagement with said ears, and truss-rods secured to said truss membersand having an insulated cap for covering the same adapted to be embracedat its opposite ends by said clamping-yokes and means carried by saidyokes for tensioning said rods.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM JfRUTTLEDGE. Witnesses:

OTTO F. BARTHEL,

JOSEPH A. NoELKE.

IOO

IOS

IIO

